The Colossus of Rhodes
by Yumemakura
Summary: This is a kind of sequel to my last 'wonder' story, 'The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus'. In this 'wonder', Ptolemy talks about the memory of Alexander and Hephaistion to Chares, the head sculpture of Colossus.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The spirits of people in Rhodes were so high that everybody spilled out on the street to celebrate the victory. Demetrius, son of Antigonus, finally gave up on his siege, and pulled out his army after almost a year of attempt. The defense had been hard; especially because Demetrius used such heavy-duty weapons to break the walls of Rhodes.

A tortoise-like armored battering ram, which took one thousand men to operate, was one of the radical weapons he used. The other was a giant catapult that could throw an 180 pounds stone for a quarter of a mile. But the most intimidating weapon he used was an enormous wheeled fortified tower, which was equipped with its own catapults and sling throwers. It was a miracle that Rhodes did survive the attack of 40,000 soldiers equipped with such.

However, today, Demetrius' army left all those weapons behind, and fled back to Cyprus. It was not solely the Rhodians' effort that had won this freedom; the divine winds blew some of the enemy's ships over, and flooded the land outside of the walls halting the tower's further movement. The gods were on their side, as well as Ptolemy of Egypt, who had sent a force of ships to aid the Rhodians.

Looking at this almost hysterical celebration, Chares' mind was swinging between two extremes; ecstasy and despair. The people of Rhodes had decided to build a giant statue of Helios to celebrate their freedom and victory, and Chares was the one they had chosen to perform this honor. His heart swelled with pride and glory at one moment, but it shrank with a fear and anxiety the very next moment.

As a perfectionist in his work, Chares had to excel above and beyond everybody, including his master Lysippus. Lysippus has built a statue of Zeus, which towered 60 feet high. It meant for Chares that he had to build this statue so that it exceeded his master's in height. At the same time, this was a great opportunity for him to prove to the world what he could do. To create a perfect statue of Helios, he needed more than a myth to reference, he needed an actual image with flesh and blood.

As he searched for possibilities, Chares remembered his master had talked about Alexander the Great. Lysippus had mentioned to him more than once how Alexander looked so divine that he did not doubt that Alexander was actually the direct bloodline of God. Golden hair framed his sharply chiseled face like a lion's mane. One glance from him could make the bravest warrior shiver in fear as if he was standing in front of a god. Alexander was not a tall person, but his well-proportioned muscular feature, and regal posture made him look bigger than his actual size.

Chares imagined this glorious figure, and thought he could almost create a statue. However the more he thought it through, the stronger he felt the need of something deeper to make it perfect. He needed to know how Alexander actually behaved and acted in order for him to give crucial characteristics to the statue. He needed to hear a true story of Alexander the Great from a person who had been alive at the same time. After considering a few options, Chares decided to travel to Egypt to meet king Ptolemy, the Soter of Rhodes. He was certain that Ptolemy would meet him once he understood the purpose of his visit. He arranged the trip with an Egyptian merchant who was going back to the port of Alexandria in two days.

The sight of the city was beautiful from the harbor. When Chares requested a meeting with king Ptolemy, he was told to wait for a few days. He took advantage of this, and decided to study this gem of Egypt. As he strolled the city of Alexandria, Chares could see a clear vision behind the construction of Alexandria. The streets were laid out on a grid pattern, and over three-quarters of a mile of man-made causeway ran through the city to form a double harbor, one on the east and the other on the west. The planning was genius. The city was also well organized and functional, yet warm and aesthetic. It was an ideal blend of the people who lived there, and the structures that surrounded them.

On the third day, he was finally summoned to the palace, which was a replica of pure Greek architecture. Although the king stood tall and looked very healthy, his youth was obviously behind him; his light brown hair was all turned to silver grey, and deep creases formed lines on his forehead and either side of his mouth.

"Ah, Chares of Lindos. How was the trip?"

"It was fine, my lord." Chares was surprised with the king's frankness for a moment, but continued, "People in Rhodes are celebrating the freedom, thanks to your help for this victory."

Ptolemy's gentle brown eyes looked through into Chares', "You are not here to tell me what I already know, are you?"

"No, my lord." Chares thought he should just get to the point. "We have decided to build a giant statue of Helios to celebrate our freedom. I was chosen to be the sculptor of the statue, and I was hoping to receive your assistance."

"So, are you here to raise a fund?"

"No, my lord, Demetrius left all the weapons behind, and we have enough material to build the statue by melting those weapons."

"Then what do you need from me?

"Well, my master Lysippus told me that Alexander was the closest human to a god."

As soon as Ptolemy heard the name 'Alexander', his expression softened. Chares took this as a welcoming sign, and continued.

"So, I decided to use him as an image to create the statue, but I needed something more than a physical feature. I needed to hear from somebody who actually knew him. I would like to hear a real story about him so that I can put his spirit in the heart of the statue. And I believe you, my lord, were the closest to him."

Ptolemy's eyes narrowed for a moment as if he was looking back into the past.

"Yes, I was, except for one. You cannot talk about Alexander without him. I will tell you a story of when Alexander almost lost himself. Have you ever heard of the Prophecy of Artemis?"

"The prophecy of the invincible king of Asia, Alexander, and his companion? But, did such a man really exist?"

"Yes, my story will prove to you that the man was real, and so is the prophecy. I still remember the day when Alexander met him for the first time. We were all young, studying under Aristotle in Mieza. As soon as this boy from Athens came into the class, Alexander's eyes were fixed on him. Well, I cannot really blame him, because he was such a beauty. His name was Hephaistion, and I have never met a person who was as beautiful and noble as he was. We joked for a long time that Alexander was struck by Eros so hard that he looked stupid just staring at Hephaistion with his mouth open. "

All of sudden, the fire of life lit up king Ptolemy's face, and his calm brown eyes were shimmering with long lost excitement.

Ptolemy's memory was taken back to nearly thirty years ago. He shifted his body to lean heavily against the back of the chair, closed his eyes, and then started to tell a story.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After the battle of Gaugamela, we were heading further east. Alexander wanted to invade Persia before the winter settled in. The first part of our route was easy. We took a royal road to Susa, crossed the Pasitigris River, and finally reached Haftgel. There, Alexander made a decision to send half of his army with Parmenion to take the Royal road to Persepolis; the capital of Persia. Alexander and the rest of us took a more dangerous road, north of the Royal road through the Zagros Mountains. He wanted to make sure that all the regions behind us were now allied with him, and if there was any resistance, he needed to crush before it became a further threat.

Everybody in the East knew by now that the prophecy had come true. They saw Alexander in a helmet with two giant red plumes standing like horns totally over run king Darius' army, who had the advantage in force and numbers. And when quite a few solders of king Darius saw this young beautiful warrior with blue eyes fighting right by the side of king Alexander, they recognized that this man was the real threat to their kingdom.

Although the path was not as smooth as the Royal Road, the journey was rather easy. Especially after the confrontation and the massacre of the Uxians tribe, everybody fled as soon as they saw us coming. We saw refugees everywhere. We soon crossed the river Marun, and reached the plain with no problem. We camped there to prepare for the further journey into the valley.

We started early next morning. It was a cold but fine day in late January. The morning sun had just risen over the valley, the air was thin and the breeze was crisp. The weak rays of the winter sun reflected on white snow, making the whole mountainside glitter in millions of bright sparkles. The thick white breaths from soldiers and horses filled the air, along with a steam from the shallow stream, which ran through the valley. The stream was crystal clear, and the water was so ice cold that you lost the sense of feeling if you kept your hands in it more than a minute.

We probably should have sent a scout ahead of us, but the path was wide and we did not see any immediate danger. We started the advance by heading northeast. There were some refugees on the rocks, but we did not think much about them. Then the road turned to the right, and we were going southeast. The rising sun blinded us, and we could not see a thing ahead of us. The road was becoming increasingly narrow as well. As soon as we turned to the left again, we saw a tall wall in front of us. The wall was less than ten feet wide, but there was no way around. We knew we were trapped, but it was too late. By now, the whole army was in the valley.

All of a sudden, we heard a loud war cry, and we were attacked. The people we thought were refugees rained down boulders from the north side. Archers and catapults launched their projectiles from the south side and the gate. We were attacked from all three sides. We found later that they were Persian soldiers under the command of Ariobarzanes who also fought under Darius at Gaugamela.

We were in mass confusion with this unexpected attack. Soldiers were falling all around us. We tried to break through the wall, but each time when we attacked, we were defeated badly. We suffered heavy casualties, and were losing entire platoons at each attack. Alexander's solders tried to climb up the wall, but none of them made it to the top. The wall was rather narrow, but it sure stood tall and strong.

Hephaistion was the first to react to the situation. He patted his mare's neck and whispered into her ear to calm her down, and galloped to Alexander, who was frustrated, and pulling Bucephalus hard to hold him back.

"Alexander, there is nothing we can do here. I know it is not in your game, but we have to retreat, and regroup. Lead us the way."

Alexander gritted his teeth, but nodded and turned Bucephalus around, and shouted. "Retreat!" I think if it were not for Hephaistion, Alexander would never have turned around. Somehow, Hephaistion was the only one who could put some sense into Alexander's mind.

After watching Alexander change direction to lead the army to retreat, Hephaistion turned back to make sure the rest were with Alexander's plan. I was just about to turn around to follow Alexander myself when I saw Hephaistion hit by a rock, and fall hard into the stream. The stream was shallow enough where Hephaistion lay, and there was no danger of his drowning since his face was out of the water. But, it worried me so much, because despite falling into the ice-cold water, Hephaistion did not move at all.

I tried to go to him, but it was impossible to cross against the wave of soldiers now running back for their lives. Besides, I saw a couple of Persians sneak out from the crack of the gate, and they carried Hephaistion away. They must have been aiming and waiting for Hephaistion to fall, since they never bothered to retrieve anybody else except him. Alexander did not see this, and I think this was the only reason we survived that day. If he had seen Hephaistion taken, he would never have retreated. He would have charged back against the Persians even if it cost him a whole army including his own life.

As soon as I joined Alexander at the camp back in the plain, I broke the news to him. His face immediately turned pale, and he groaned.

"Was he alive?" Alexander asked me searching for an answer in my eyes.

"I could not tell for sure from where I was." I did not tell him I feared that Hephaistion might be dead. I was afraid of the effect what it would have on Alexander. He clenched his fists so tight that I thought the blood would run through between his fingers any moment. Then he told a soldier to fetch his Bucephalus.

"Alexander, you cannot." I exclaimed.

"Are you telling the king what he can and cannot do?"

I had never feared Alexander before until that moment. His eyes were blood shot red as if reflecting a demon he carried inside. There was no reason or warmth in his eyes, but just abhorrence. Alexander looked so lost. I gathered all my courage, and spoke.

"No, my king. But, if we go back now with no plans we will all fall, then there will not be any hope left for Hephaistion to be rescued. It would be too late when Parmenion finally finds out and comes back for him."

By hearing Hephaistion's name, Alexander hesitated. The next two days were a hell for the army. Alexander's mood grew darker every moment, and he drank heavily. I never realized how much and how quickly the king's mood affected the whole army. The morale was low, and the spirits were down; thefts became a common practice, and fights broke out all over the camp.

On the second day since Hephaistion had been taken, one of the guards brought an old shepherd to Alexander. He was dressed in goat fur and carried a long cane. His hair and beard were all silver grey, but his pale blue eyes were clear as cold winter sky. Something about him gave a sense of dignity. He spoke in a low voice.

"My king, I can show you the way to the gate. There is this goat road we take to avoid bandits. It is narrow and a detour, but it will take you right behind the gate."

"What proof do you have that you are telling the truth?" I had to interject, as Alexander had lost all his sense, and I could not risk the lives of the whole army to the hand of a crook.

The shepherd did not even look at me. His eyes were fixed on Alexander. He replied, "Do you have any choice?"

"No, I do not." Alexander answered immediately.

The shepherd nodded, and continued.

"We can leave after dark tonight. The Persians won't be expecting you to attack at dawn. We can still see the path clearly as it is a full moon tonight."

Alexander nodded in recognition, "Ptolemy, gather the generals." He ordered me as he walked to the tent with the shepherd.

When we all arrived at the king's tent, Alexander was pacing back and forth in a small space, adding more tension to an already stressed atmosphere. When he recognized us, he briefly stopped before starting to talk to us.

"We will leave as soon as the moon rises at the ridge. Craterus, you will stay here with your company, and keep the fire going to make the Persians believe we are still camping here. Philotas, when we reach the saddle, you take your company south to charge the Persians on the north."

Alexander pointed at the place on a rough drawn map, and continued.

"The rest of us will continue east to get behind the gate. He will show us the way."

Alexander pointed at the old shepherd. We all looked at him, and were not sure if this old man was capable of guiding us. Nevertheless, the king's mood did not allow us to voice any inquiries. We were all dismissed. It was the shortest briefing we ever had before a battle.

There was nothing we could do but wait. Alexander's pages were all outside of the tent gathered around. You could see the fear in their eyes. When I heard loud noises coming from the tent, I understood. Alexander was throwing everything he could get his hands on in the tent, and breaking them in pieces. He was in a rage again.

We anxiously waited for the first rise of the moon. As the shepherd mentioned, the sky was clear, and the moon was full. A howling of wolf echoed through the valley in the distance.

Ptolemy shifted, and took a deep swallow of wine from a cup before he continued.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When Alexander appeared fully dressed in armor, we all shivered. His armor shone with a dull blaze, and his face glowed almost pale blue in the light of the full moon. He did not look human at all, he actually looked like the mad king of the prophecy that the people in the East believed and feared. I feared for the army, as I was so certain that if Alexander ever lost Hephaistion, he would burn us all with his passion of rage until we all turned to ashes, and that he would take us all on a journey to Hades.

"Lead the way," Alexander ordered the old man. This time we took a narrow valley to the north. The path was rough and lots more steep than the one we took at our earlier attack. A small brook, snow and ice added to the challenge, along with the darkness. Foot soldiers slipped and fell, tried to cling to each other for support, yet resulting in both of them falling down again. The path was not any easier on the horses either. They often stumbled, and crashed hard into each other's bodies.

Nothing slowed down Alexander though. He pushed us so hard that we were all sweating thirty minutes into the expedition, despite the freezing cold temperature of the air. The strange thing was that this old shepherd had not slipped even once; he walked so effortlessly that it looked as if he was floating above the earth.

It was just after midnight, the moon was high above us when we arrived at the saddle. Alexander ordered Philotas to turn south, and wait for the signal of the first war cry before attacking the enemies on the cliff. We continued to march to southeast. It was not until almost dawn when we finally got behind the gate.

We noticed that the Persians had not even set a guard, being so confident from their victory on previous days. Alexander saw an opportunity, and charged with a loud war cry. Most of the enemy was not even dressed in armor, and their minds were clouded with traces of heavy sleep. Alexander did not have any mercy. He killed everybody within arms' reach. The Persians did not have much of a chance to escape, especially when Philotas attacked the flank on the north cliff, and Craterus was charging through the original path directly to the gate.

Through the veil of morning fog and the weak light of dawn, we saw a lump of heavy coverlet in a cage set by the fire close to a large tent, which seemed to belong to the commander of the camp. When I saw a discarded chiton and cloak outside the cage, I realized that it was Hephaistion who lay under the cover. Alexander noticed it as well. We both rushed to the side of the cage.

As we came close, we saw Hephaistion's pale face half hidden under a heavy cover, and his silky auburn hair spread over it. At least the Persians had not left him to freeze to death. However, they had made sure that Hephaistion would not escape. His right wrist and left ankle were cuffed, and securely chained to the sides of the cage; exposing his stretched naked arm and a leg out of the cover. He looked even more beautiful in this vulnerable state despite a bruise on his cheek, and mud smeared on his forehead. Still, it was an agonizing sight to see such a brave and noble warrior reduced to nothing, being chained and caged like a wild animal.

"Hephaistion…." Alexander muttered and crumbled in front of the cage. I heard Cleitus groan behind, and looked back. He was parting soldiers with a hammer and a chisel in his hand. It was then, I noticed that soldiers in Hephaistion's company had surrounded the cage in two ranks, all facing out. All of them were fighting to stop tears from being shed, yet lots of them were unsuccessful. They were all grieving with vexation seeing their officer treated so disgracefully. Even hardened warrior Cleitus had tears in his eyes.

Cleitus broke the lock with one blow, and hurried inside the cage to work on the cuffs. Alexander followed right behind Cleitus, and gathered Hephaistion in his arms as much as the slack of the chains had allowed him to do. Cleitus carefully broke the cuffs trying not to hurt Hephaistion further. Ugly bruises and scuffs appeared when the cuffs were removed. Alexander gently caressed the scar, took his cloak, and wrapped Hephaistion before carrying him out. I followed them to the commander's tent.

Alexander gently lowered Hephaistion onto the bed, his breathing was shallow and uneven. Alexander sat on a stool by the bed holding Hephaistion's motionless hand in his, and whispered in a distressed voice, "Hephaistion, please don't leave me." There was no response. Hephaistion's breathing was becoming more uneven. I feared that Hephaistion would not last until the surgeon, who had stayed behind with Craterus, arrived.

Next moment, I suddenly noticed the old shepherd standing beside Alexander. I did not hear him enter nor the guards stopping him. He moved closer to Hephaistion, and hovered his hands over the face almost touching it, then slowly moved them down to his chest, and to the waist. He finally settled his left hand on top of Hephaistion's head, and kept it still for a moment. We noticed Hephaistion's breath becoming easier.

I saw Hephaistion squeeze Alexander's hands. Alexander's eyes lit up, and he brought Hephaistion's hand to his lips, kissing his knuckles tenderly. Hephaistion sighed and opened his eyes. I was never happier to see those beautiful blue orbs. Now I knew that Alexander's army was saved, and we were in order once again.

"I thought I had lost you."

I heard Alexander murmur softly in a relieved voice before I left the tent. I looked for that old shepherd to thank him, but he was nowhere in sight. I asked around, and the answers were all the same. They had not seen him since we arrived at the camp, the only souls left at the camp were a handful of Persians who managed to flee. Later, Alexander told us that he believed the old shepherd was actually Zeus himself who came down from the mount of Olympus to save Hephaistion for Alexander.

I met Craterus' flushed face. He was dragging a Persian solder behind, and a translator followed them.

"How is Hephaistion?" He asked worriedly.

"He is better, I think he will make it."

"By Zeus." Craterus sighed heavily.

"Who do you have there?" I asked, glaring at the Persian.

"He was just about to escape from the crack of the gate when we caught him. He has information Alexander wants to hear."

I nodded to him, and we went back to the tent. The surgeon had already treated Hephaistion. We could see a bandage around his head, and a wrist, but surprisingly, the bruise on his cheek was already starting to fade. Alexander was stroking over the bandage with his thumb while holding Hephaistion's hand and watching him sleep.

"The surgeon said that he would be up by tomorrow morning. I almost lost him, almost…"

Alexander spoke without taking an eye from Hephaistion. We could sense in his voice the emotional tremors he went through.

"Alexander, I have some information you may want to hear. We caught this Persian soldier, and he told us a story behind this attack." Craterus spoke up.

Alexander looked at Craterus for the first time since we entered the tent. His eyes were wet and red; it was obvious that he had been crying silently.

"Go on." Alexander encouraged Craterus.

" He told us that after the battle of Gaugamela, they were convinced that Hephaistion was the man behind the Macedonian King. Darius knew Alexander would fail without his companion. He promised Halicarnassus the Regent position at Persepolis if he captured and brought Hephaistion to him. He said that Darius was afraid if he killed Hephaistion, Alexander would hunt him down to Hades, but if he had Hephaistion, he thought he could control and destroy Alexander."

"Release him." I could not believe what I heard.

"Alexander?" Craterus asked with a questioning expression.

Alexander repeated. "Release him, and tell him to go to Halicarnassus and Darius to tell them that Alexander will hunt them down, no matter how long it takes, I will find them."

Craterus told the interpreter to translate what the king said, and called the guard to take him out of the camp and release him. The guard looked puzzled, but he just followed the order.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

As the surgeon promised, Hephaistion was up next morning. His face was still pale, and the white bandages recalled the agony he had had to go through. We rode up for Persepolis early in the morning. Alexander was all over him. He helped Hephaistion to mount a horse, and looked at him every minute while riding by his side to make sure Hephaistion was doing all right. He ordered a rest almost every two hours, and helped Hephaistion dismount as well.

Hephaistion finally had to say something to Alexander at the second break.

"Alexander, it is not necessary to take a rest for every two hours for me, besides if we do not hurry Parmenion could be isolated. We have already lost a few days at the gate."

Alexander grinned and answered. "Well, then with one condition."

He helped Hephaistion mount on Bucephalus, and settled behind him. Hephaistion rolled his eyes, but he did not protest. He knew very well what Alexander needed. He needed an assurance; he needed to feel Hephaistion close. The whole army was grateful that Hephaistion let Alexander fuss all over him. The image was still vivid in everybody's mind how Alexander could be so frightening. Nevertheless, now, Alexander looked happy and content, and we never wanted to see Alexander as in the last couple of days when he did not have Hephaistion by his side.

When we arrived at Persepolis, we found Ariobarzanes had been killed. He escaped to the north, but was forced to give up. There was no place for him to hide. Everyone allied with Alexander knew Ariobarzanes was wanted, and when he finally surrendered, he was executed. Six month later, we found Darius' deserted body on a roadside, left to rot just like an animal. His own man, who was afraid for his own life, killed him.

Ptolemy took another drink.

"There is another story about Hephaistion, who almost lost his life when Alexander was badly hurt by an arrow at the siege of Mallian. Alexander himself was at the edge of Hades as well; the arrow almost struck his heart. Alexander and Hephaistion could not survive without each other. They were inseparable."

Chares thought he saw a tear form at the corner of king's eye, but before he could confirm it, Ptolemy stood up.

"Well, Chares of Lindos, it is a story for some other time."

Chares took this as a cue, thanked the king and left the chamber.

On the way back to Rhodes, Chares was processing the information about Alexander he had just collected from Ptolemy in his mind. It was unique information; so different from the image he had before. He was now very confident, and thought that he could really put a spirit into this statue. He thought he could make it alive.

Construction started with a base at the eastern promontory of Mandraki harbor. Chares used white marble to make a 50-foot pedestal. Feet and ankles were fixed to it first. The framework of the body was constructed with stone columns and iron bars, and then filled with stone blocks. Bronze skins were riveted together to cover the outer shell, and Demetrius' abandoned fortified tower was used as scaffolding around the lower level. To reach the higher level, a large earthen ramp had to be created.

Twelve years had passed since the construction started. The dirt ramp was removed, and the statue was almost in completion. It stood 110 feet high, wearing a spiked crown, shading its eyes from the rising sun with its right hand, and holding a cloak over its left hand. Chares had worked very hard for the last twelve years, and his effort was just about to bloom. The statue looked magnificent. He could not wait for the day of the dedication ceremony set in two days.

When he was just about ready to leave after the last day of hard work, a merchant stopped him, and pointed out a minor discoloration on the left side of the statue's breast. When Chares saw the flow, he crumbled to his knees. He realized that he had not build a statue of Helios, but of Alexander. The flow was in the exact place where Alexander was hit by a Mallian arrow. He was unconsciously creating a perfect statue of Alexander. He was defeated. Next morning his wife found him dead in the bath with both of his wrists slit. There was a note, which simply said. "I have failed." It was just one day before the celebration.

As soon as the port became visible with human eyes, Ptolemy recognized a giant statue at the east side of the harbor. It was a sunny day and the mid morning sun reflected freely on the bronze skin of the statue. As the ship closed the gap to the shore, the sight of the statue became more impressive. The proportion was perfect, and all the details and the fine craftsmanship were obvious to all. It was a fine piece of work.

When Ptolemy disembarked at the harbor, he was greeted by disturbing news. They told him that Chares took his own life the night before, because he thought he had failed. Ptolemy was puzzled. The statue looked perfect from the ship. He did not understand what Chares meant by failure. He decided to inspect the statue closer. Somehow, Ptolemy felt responsible for Chares' work. It was his story of Alexander that inspired this sculptor after all.

The sun was almost setting at Mandraki harbor. The statue looked magisterial in the light of falling red sun shining through the spikes of the halo. The impression of the sculpture's face reminded him of Alexander, so noble and determined. Ptolemy was still in puzzlement; he did not see a single flaw. The sun soon disappeared, and the moon replaced it in the sky as the darkness gradually crept up to the harbor.

Ptolemy took one more look at the statue, and he sucked his breath. He saw Hephaistion in the moonlight. The hair that was golden in the sun deepened in color in the faint silver ray of moonlight, and the figure looked still muscular but slightly slender in the dark. Ptolemy almost believed that he saw that unmistakable blue on the statue's eyes when the moon reflected the sea on to the face of the statue.

Now, Ptolemy understood completely. Chares did not build a statue of Helios. He made a perfect statue of Alexander, who could not survive without his companion by his side, his love; Hephaistion. Chares surely put a sprit to the heart. He created a statue of one soul in two bodies. Tears ran down freely on Ptolemy's aged cheeks, and his mind was once again young in memories of those days with Alexander and Hephaistion.

End


End file.
